Summary
Rama eliminates fourteen thousand demons led by Duushana. Firstly, the forerunning demons are killed, next Duushana is routed, and then twelve other captains who on knowing Duushana's downfall dashed towards Rama. Left behind are only two, Khara and Trishira, the chiefs of that demonic force in Janasthaana.
Chapter [Sarga] 26 in Detail
duusanah tu svakam sainyam hanyamaanam vilokya ca |
sa.mdidesha mahaabaahuh bhiima vegaan nishaacaraan || 3-26-1
raakshasaan pa.nca saahasraan samaresu anivartinah |
On seeing the shattering of his own forces, Duushana bid five thousand mighty-armed nightwalkers of monstrous impetus, and who knew no retreat in war, to attack Rama. [3-26-1]
te shuulaih pattishaih kadagaih shilaa varasaih drumaih || 3-26-2
shara varsaih vicchinnam vavarsuh tam samantatah |
And they with spears, scimitars, swords, and with the rains of boulders, trees and arrows rained incessantly and inordinately upon Rama from all over. [3-26-2b, 3a]
tat drumaanaam shilaanaam ca varsam praana haram mahat || 3-26-3
pratijagraaha dharmaatmaa raaghavah tiiksna saayakaih |
Raghava, the virtue-souled, in his turn has neutralized that ghastly and life-taking storm of boulders and trees with his fierce arrows. [3-26-3b, 4a]
pratigrihya ca tad varsam nimiilita iva risabhah || 3-26-4
raamah krodham param lebhe vadha artham sarva raksasaam |
Like a bull receiving rain with closed eyes Rama assimilated that storming and then evoked an inordinate infuriation for eliminating all of the demons. [3-26-4b, 5a]
tatah krodha samaavistah pradiipta iva tejasaa || 3-26-5
sharaih abhyakirat sainyam sarvatah saha duusanam |
Exasperation prevailing on him who appeared to be highly blazing with the blaze of his own virtue, he then diffused Duushana and his army with arrows from all over. [3-26-5b, 6a]
tatah senaa patih kruddho duusanah shatru duusanah || 3-26-6
sharaih ashani kalpaih tam raaghavam samavaarayat |
And on becoming enraged Duushana, the railer [scold in harsh] of his rivals and the commander of that army, then virtually forestalled Raghava's onslaught with his arrows that are simulative of thunderbolts. [3-26-6b, 7a]
tato raamah sa.mkruddhah kshurena asya mahat dhanuh || 3-26-7
ciccheda samare viirah caturbhih caturo hayaan |
That valiant one in warring Rama is then infuriated and with his crescent-barbed arrow shivered the sturdy bow of Duushana, shredding four of his horses with four more arrows. [3-26-7b, 8a]
hatvaa ca ashvaan sharaih tiikshnaih artha candrena saarathe || 3-26-8
shiro jahaara tad rakshah tribhir vivyaadha vakshasi |
On destructing the horses with excruciating arrows, he even fragmented the head of the charioteer with a crescent-barbed arrow, and even impaled the chest of demon Duushana with some more arrows. [3-26-8b, 9a]
sa cchinna dhanvaa viratho hata ashvo hata saarathih || 3-26-9
jagraaha giri shri.nga aabham parigham roma harsanam |
vestitam kaa.ncanaih pattaih deva sainya abhimardanam || 3-26-10
aayasaih sha.nkubhih tiiksnaih kiirnam para vasaa uksitaam |
vajra ashani sama sparsham para gopura daaranam || 3-26-11
With his bow fractured and chariot shredded, and with horses and charioteer killed, he that Duushana grabbed a mace which outranks a peak of mountain and a hair-thriller at its sight, and which girt [encircle] with golden girths once gritted the armies of gods, the head of which is studded with incisive iron spikes and saturated with the fat of foes, a coequal of a diamond and a thunderbolt in its hardiness and flashiness, and a ransacker [to search through to commit robbery] of the archways of fortresses of his adversaries. [3-26-9b, 10, 11]
tam mahaa uraga sa.mkaasham pragrihya parigham rane |
duusano abhyapatat raamam kruura karmaa nishaacarah || 3-26-12
On firmly gripping that mace which in war is akin to an infernal serpent, and the touch of which tantamount to snakebite, rushed that nightwalker Duushana with infernal exerts rushed towards Rama. [3-26-12]
tasya abhipatamaanasya duusanasya sa raaghavah |
dvaabhyaam sharaabhyaam ciccheda sa hasta aabharanau bhujau || 3-26-13
While Duushana came falling on, he that Raghava sheared off his shoulders that have wrist-ornaments on his arms with two arrows. [3-26-13]
bhrastah tasya mahaakaayah papaata rana muurdhani |
parighah chinna hastasya shakra dhvaja iva agratah || 3-26-14
When Duushana's arms are thus sheared in the van of war, his gigantic mace slipped and spun in his own front, like the flagstaff with flag raised in honor of Indra, and collapsed . [3-26-14]
karaabhyaam ca vikiirnaabhyaam papaata bhuvi duusanah |
visaanaabhyaam vishiir.hnaabhyaam manasvii iva mahaagajah || 3-26-15
With both of his arms strewn around Duushana fell down onto earth like a haughty and gigantic elephant when both of its tusks are broken down. [3-26-15]
dristvaa tam patitam bhuumau duusanam nihatam rane |
saadhu saadhu iti kaakutstham sarva bhuutaani apuujayan || 3-26-16
On seeing Duushana eliminated and fallen to ground, all the beings have applauded Rama saying, 'good, good...' [3-26-16]
etasmin antare kruddhaah trayah senaa agra yaayinah |
sa.mhatya abhyadravan raamam mrityu paasha avapaashitaah || 3-26-17
mahaakapaalah sthuulaaksah pramaathii ca mahaabalah |
In the meantime infuriated are the three leading commanders of that army, namely Mahakapaala, Stuulaaksha and great mighty Pramaathii, and they collectively ran towards Rama, bound by the rein of death. [3-26-17, 18a]
mahaakapaalo vipulam shuulam udyamya raaksasah || 3-26-18
sthuulaaksah pattisham grihya pramaathii ca parashvadham |
Mahakapaala raising a broad trident, Stuulaaksha handling a scimitar, Pramaathii handling an axe rushed towards Rama. [3-26-18b, 19a]
dristvaa eva aapatatah taam tu raaghavah saayakaih shitaih || 3-26-19
tiiksna agraih pratijagraaha sa.mpraaptaan atithiin iva |
As one would receive guests meeting his basic needs, Raghava too took on these untimely guests of war, rather the insurgents, meeting their basic needs which now are no more than highly sharpened acute edged arrows, when he saw them coming and falling upon him, inopportunely. [3-26-19b, 20a]
mahaakapaalasya shirah ciccheda raghuna.ndanah || 3-26-20
asa.mkhyeyaih tu baana oghaih pramamaatha pramaathinam |
sthuulaaksasya aksinii sthuule puurayaamaasa saayakaih || 3-26-21
sa papaata hato bhuumau vitapii iva mahaadrumah |
duusanasya anugaan panca sahasraan kupitah kshanaat || 3-26-22
hatvaa tu pa.nca sahasraan anayat yama sadanam |
Rama, the legatee of Raghu, chopped off the head of Mahakapaala, with incalculable spates of arrows he eliminated Pramaathii, and filled the bulging eyes of Stuulaaksha with arrows by which Stuulaaksha is killed and fell down onto ground like a burly tree with its broad branches. Then still infuriated Rama forthwith eliminated the five thousand hench-demons of Duushana with five thousand arrows, and thus he led them to the residence of Time-god, namely the hell. [3-26-20b, 21, 22, 23a]
duusanam nihatam shrutvaa tasya ca eva padaanugaan || 3-26-23
vyaadidesha kharah kruddho sena adhyakshaan mahaabalaan |
On hearing about the killing of Duushana and also thus of the followers of Duushana, Khara irately ordered his army captains, under whose captaincy mighty forces are there. [3-26-23b, 24a]
ayam vinihatah sa.nkhye duusanah sa padaanugaah || 3-26-24
mahatyaa senayaa saardham yuddhvaa raamam kumaanusam |
shastraih naanaa vidha akaaraih hanadhvam sarva raakshasaah || 3-26-25
"Duushana is killed in war along with his followers, hence all you demons, take formidable army, take weapons of diverse designs, combat and kill that evil-human Rama..." Thus Khara ordered the remaining demons. [3-26-24b, 25]
evam uktvaa kharah kruddho raamam eva abhi dudruve |
shyenagaamii prithugriivo yajnashatrur viha.ngamah || 3-26-26
durjayah karaviiraakshah parusah kaalakaarmukah |
hemamaalii mahaamaalii sarpasyo rudhiraashanah || 3-26-27
dvaadasha ete mahaaviiryaa bala adhyakshaah sa sainikaah
ramam eva abhyadhaava.nta visrija.ntah sharottamaan || 3-26-28
Saying so Khara himself rushed towards Rama in rage, and Shyenagaami, Prithugriiva, Yajnashatru, Vihamgama Durjaya, Karaviiraaksha, Parusha, Kaalakaarmuka, Hemamaali, Mahaamaali, Sarpaasya, and Rudhiraaksha are the twelve fiendishly atrocious troop leaders of demonic forces, and they too rushed towards Rama launching their atrocious arrows. [3-26-26, 27, 28]
tatah paavaka sa.mkaashaih hema vajra vibhuusitaih |
jaghana shesam tejasvii tasya sainyasya saayakaih || 3-26-29
He who is resplendent that Rama then annihilated the remaining demons of that army with his arrows that are embellished with gold and diamonds, and that are blazing like ritual-fires. [3-26-29]
te rukma pu.nkhaa vishikhaah sa dhuumaa iva paavakaah |
nijaghnuh taani raksaa.msi vajraa iva mahaadrumaan || 3-26-30
With those arrows that have golden tailpieces and sharp barbs, and that are dazzling like fuming ritual fires Rama felled the demons, as Thunderbolts of Indra will be felling gigantic trees. [3-26-30]
raksasaam tu shatam raamah shatena ekena karninaa |
sahasram tu sahasrena jaghaana rana muurdhani || 3-26-31
With a hundred rudder like arrows Rama hit down a hundred demons, and with a thousand more, thousand more demons are hit in the forefront of that war. [3-26-31]
taih bhinna varma aabharanaah chinna bhinna shara aasanaah |
nipetuh shonita aadigdhaa dharanyaam rajaniicaraah || 3-26-32
Ripped are their shields and armorial-ornaments, ruined and rickety are their bows, and they the nightwalkers fell flat on ground, bodies wholly smudged with blood. [3-26-32]
taih mukta keshaih samare patitaih shonita uksitaih |
vistiirnaa vasudhaa krit.hsnaa mahaavedih kushaih iva || 3-26-33
With those demons that have fallen down in war, whose hair is tousled and who are drenched in blood, entire earth looked like a vast altar of fire overspread with holy grass. [3-26-33]
tat ksane tu mahaa ghoram vanam nihata raaksasam |
babhuuva niraya prakhyam maa.msa shonita kardamam || 3-26-34
That forest which became sludgy with the flesh and blood of killed demons and very disgusting, in a moment it became identical with hell. [3-26-34]
caturdasha sahasraani raksasaam bhiima karmanaam |
hataani ekena raamena maanusena padaatinaa || 3-26-35
Thus that Rama, a lone one, that too a foot-soldier, has eliminated fourteen thousand demons of frightening exploits. [3-26-35]
tasya sainyasya sarvasya kharah sheso mahaarathah |
raaksasah trishiraah caiva raamah ca ripusuudanah || 3-26-36
Of his entire army great-charioteer Khara and Trishira are the remaining nightwalkers, and Rama, the enemy destroyer, naturally on the other side. [3-26-36]
shesaa hataa mahaaviiryaa raakshasaa rana muurdhani |
ghoraa durvisahaah sarve lakshmanasya agrajena || 3-26-37
Lakshmana's elder brother Rama eliminated all of the remaining demons in the forefront of war who are highly valorous, ghastly and unbearable. [3-26-37]
tatah tu tad bhiima balam mahaa aahave
samiiksya raamena hatam baliiyasaa |
rathena raamam mahataa kharah tatah
samaasasaada indra iva udyata ashanih || 3-26-38
Then on surveying that great demonic force which is eliminated by Rama in that staggering war, Khara then marched on to reach Rama in a huge chariot, as with Indra who will march upraising his Thunderbolt. [3-26-38]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande sad vi.mshah sargah
Thus, this is the 26th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate